Floor mat for vehicles



Aug. 7, 1928. A E. E. RICHARDSON FLOOR MAT FOR VEHICLES Filed Jan, 1926 Patented Aug. 7, 1928 UNITED STATES EDWARD E. RICHARDSON, OF MAUMEE, OHIO.

FLOOR MAT FOR VEHICLES.

Application filed January 9, 1926. Serial No. 80,170.

This invention relates to. a floor mat for vehicles which have levers, pedals or other movable parts extending through the floor.

An object. of this invention s to provide a floor mat which may be readlly applied to vehicles having difierently arranged pedals or other levers.

Another object is to prov de a mat which will efiectively'prevent circulation of air through the openings in the floor of a vehicle and offer no substantial resistance to the movement of the pedals or other levers extending therethrough. j

Another object is to provide a mat which will. be neat and attractive inv appearance and may be readily and economically manufactured,

According to this invention the mat is provided-with aslit. for each lever, the slits heingspaced apart to correspond to the farthest spaced set of levers to Whichthe mat is to be applied, and means are provided for decreasing the distance. between slits to make them correspond to more closely spaced sets of levers.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in. the accompanying drawing n which- 1 and 2' shnwthematas applied to a widely spaced set of pedals, the mat being shown, respectively, in perspective and cross section; and

Figs. 3 and 4 show the mat applied to a more closely spaced set of pedals, respectively in perspective and cross section. I

The mat comprises a main body portion 1 which is provided with, slots 2, 3 and 4,

which are provided with resilient flanges 2, 3 and 4*, for closing the slots to prevent the circulation of air therethrough. These flanges are molded integrally with the mat base and, as shown, taper toward thelr free edges. The flanges are considerably wider than half the width of the slot so that they project upwardly as illustrated, pressing against and engaging each other over a considerable zone and being held in contact by the resilience of the material. This also causes the flanges to lie snugly against the sides of the pedal levershanks, engaging these over a zone of considerable width. The pressure on the shanks being distributed over a considerable area is therefore not sufficient to ofier any noticeable resistance to the movement of the levers, while it is amply suflicient to close the slots and prevent circulation of air therethrough.

By making the flanges tapered, they are much more flexible at their upper or free edges than at their lower and thicker parts and conform to the pedal shanks, and thus close the openings through which these pass, much more efficiently than would thicker and stiffer flanges. The lowerparts retain the characteristics of thick flanges and have more resilience and exert more pressure than do the edges. 7

In the mat, as originally formed, the slots are spaced to correspond to the widest spaced set of pedals with which it is intended to use the mat. When themat is to be used with a more closely arranged set of pedals, the distance between one or more pairs of slots must be reduced- To accomplish this, I provide the mat with a section which may be overlapped whenever such shortening may be required. This is illustrated in the embodi ment shown as a wide, shallow groove 5 between slots 2 and 3 and is used toadjust the mats as follows: When the mat is to be used with a closely spaced set of pedals, it is out along the bottom of the groove and the tapered or beveled portion 6 at one side of the groove is lapped over the tapered or beveled portion 7 at the other side and the portions secured together by any suitable means, forming a scarf joint.

I have illustrated the fastening means as employing split pins 8 which are adapted to be passed through holes 9 and 10 in the tapering portions of the mat. It will be seen that the mat illustrated can be Very readily and conveniently shortened to lit a set of pedals closer together than those which it fits when extended, and still presents a neat and finished appearance when used with either set of pedals, thus reducing the number of models of mats necessary to equip a variety of models of cars.

I claim 1. A one-piece mat having openings there through and two adjacent sections formed to constitute halves of a scarf joint.

2. A one-piece mat having a plurality of openings therethrough and a groove therein formed by two oppositely inclined substantially equal bevels.

3. A inathaving a wide V-shaped groove extending entirely thereacross for the purpose set forth.

4:. A mat having a wide V-shaped groove and adapted to be cut in two along the bottom of the groove and means for securing the edges formed by such cutting in overlapping relation.

A mat having slots therethrough for the passage of levers and tapering resilient flanges closing said slots.

6. A mat having a plurality of openings for the passage of a series of levers therethrough, sections which may be overlapped and means for positively locating the overlapped parts to cause the openings to conlorni to another series of levers.

7. A one-piece mat having openings therethrough and a section formed to constitute a scarf joint and provided with means for locating said sections to cause the openings to conform to the levers of a definite series and different from those which the mat fits in its normal shape.

8. A one-piece mat having openings therethrough for the passage of a series of levers, sections between said openings adapted to overlie each other and form a scarf joint and means to positively position said sections to cause the openings to fit a different series of levers.

9. A mat having a slot therethrough for the passage of a lever and abutting resilient flanges at the sides of said slot, the flanges being more flexible at their free edges than throughout the remainder of their extent.

10. A mat having a slot therethrough for the passage of a lever, and resilient abutting flanges extending from the sides of the slot and increasing in flexibility toward their outer edges.

11. A mat having a slot therethrough and abutting flanges at the sides of said slot, the flanges being thinner at their abutting edges than at the edges attached to the mat.

12. A mat comprising a base, having slots therethrough for the passage of levers, each slot having a resilient flange secured at each side thereof, the flanges being wider than half the slot width, and pressing against each other, and the thickness of the flanges decreasing from the base to their free edges.

13. A mat having slots therethrough for the passage of lovers, and tapering resilient flanges closing said slots.

14. A mat having slots therethrough for the passage of levers and resilient flanges of progressively increasing flexibility closing said slots.

15. A mat having slots therethrough for the passage of levers, resilient flanges of progressively increasing flexibility closing said slots, and sections between two adjacent slots formed to constitute halves of a sari joint.

16. A mat for closing lever slots in a vehicle floor, comprising a base having slots therein corresponding to those in the floor and resilient flanges at the sides of the slots, the flanges being of greater width than half the slot width and extending inwardly and upwardly to normally abut each other at a line considerably below their upper edges, the parts of the flanges above said line decreasing in thickness, so that their upper edges are relatively flexible and contact each other through a zone of substantial width.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature this 28th day of December, 1925.

EDWARD E. RICHARDSON 

